WANTED: On Tuesday, Nov. 9, the Hattiesburg Police Department sent out photographs captured from security camera footage to ask the public for help in identifying two individuals involved in an ongoing investigation.
Police believe the individuals are connected to a shooting that occurred around 10:00 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 8 outside of the vacant Holiday Inn on Highway 49. One individual was injured in the shooting and transported by ambulance to a local hospital.
Anyone with any information should contact the HPD or Metro Crime Stoppers at 601-582-STOP.
ARRESTED: The Hattiesburg Police Department arrested Roy Williams, 33, of Hattiesburg, on Sunday, No. 7 for felony drug trafficking. The arrest occurred around 3:00 p.m. near the intersection of North 38th Avenue and Montague Blvd. Officers found and seized around 111 grams of meth. Williams has been booked into the Forrest County Jail.
ARRESTED: Hattiesburg police officers responded to a shooting at 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 7 around the vicinity of Hardy Street and South 40th Avenue. One vehicle was struck by a bullet, but no individuals were injured.
Officers later located a suspect’s vehicle in the 3500 block of Campbell Drive and arrested Christopher Armstrong, 24, of Hattiesburg. Armstrong was charged with one count of aggravated assault and possession go a stolen weapon. He has been booked into the Forrest County Jail.
ARRESTED: Officers with the Hattiesburg Police Department interrupted an auto burglary on Saturday, Nov. 6 around 1:30 a.m. in the 6500 block of Highway 49. They arrested the individual, later identified as 23-year-old Dayton Beard, of Hattiesburg, on one charge of auto burglary. Beard has been booked into the Forrest County Jail.
ARRESTED: The Hattiesburg Police Department arrested 32-year-old Donald Harris, of Hattiesburg, on Friday, Nov. 5 for felony drug and weapon charges. Harris was arrested around 9:00 p.m. near the intersection of PD Freeman Road and Edwards Street. Officers found and seized 10 dosage units of Percocet, two THC pens and a handgun. Harris is currently charged with possession of a weapon by a felon and two counts of possession of a controlled substance. He was booked into the Forrest County Jail.
ARRESTED: Hattiesburg Police arrested Jahaziel Guerrero, 24, of North Carolina on Tuesday, Nov. 2 after responding to a report of a disturbance at a restaurant in the 6100 block of Highway 49.
Guerrero allegedly grabbed a minor individual and ran from the restaurant. According to witness reports, a family member pursued Guerrero and was able to successfully retrieve the minor with no injuries.
Police initially arrested Guerrero on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct - failure to comply, disorderly conduct - interference with business/customers and public drunkenness. On Nov. 4, however, the HPD added a felony charge of kidnapping at the direction of the 12th Circuit Court District Attorney’s Office.
Guerrero was booked into the Forrest County Jail.
SENTENCED: On Nov. 3, the Forrest County 12th Circuit Court found Kedrick Tevon Lee, 25, of Hattiesburg, guilty of on count of first degree murder, two counts of possession of a weapon by a felon and one count of tampering with evidence as a habitual offender. Circuit Court Judge Bob Helfrich sentenced Lee was to life in prison without the possibility of parole and twenty years.
Lee was on trial for the May 27, 2020 death of Tedarron Price. When officers responded to the scene on May 27, they found Price suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the parking lot of 823 Edwards Street. He later died from his wounds at Forrest General Hospital.
Twelfth Circuit Court District Attorney Lin Carter said, “This was a brutal shooting, with the victim having a total of thirteen gunshot wounds.”
Video footage at the scene led officers to identify Lee as the shooter, and he was arrested three days later.
ARRESTED: The Forrest County Sheriff’s Office arrested Robert Ray Oswalt, 29, of Moselle, on Wednesday, Nov. 3 in connection to a vending and coin machine burglary in Jones County, an Ice House burglary in Brooklyn and a commercial burglary in Forrest County.
Oswalt is currently charged with commercial burglary, driving with a suspended license and driving with an expired tag. No bond has been set at this time.
According to the FSCO, the Jones County Sheriff’s Department is working with the victims of the burglaries in their jurisdiction to determine if they will pursue possible criminal charges against the subject.
Oswalt has been booked into the Forrest County Adult Correctional Facility pending his initial court appearance.
